Foods for Liver Health

Your liver keeps you healthy by cleansing your blood. Through the process of daily living, people are exposed to toxins from the environment, food and water. The liver filters waste, toxins and chemicals from the body. You may be able to improve your liver health by eating certain foods.

Peppers are rich in vitamin C and good for the liver.

Benefits

When your liver is functioning at top performance, you are less likely to get sick because your immune system is stronger when there are fewer toxins in your system. Eating foods that are known to improve liver health may result in increased energy, healthy skin and improved mood. Your digestion will also be better.

Detoxifying Foods

Eating the right types of food can improve how the liver functions. Certain foods such as apples, beets and carrots can have a cleansing effect on the liver. These foods may bind to toxins and assist the liver with flushing them out of the body. Detoxifying vegetables include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. Beets are a strong liver tonic because they can absorb heavy metals in the liver and help carry them out of the body.

Consider buying organic vegetables to avoid harmful pesticides and other chemicals that can affect the health of your liver. Include five to eight servings of vegetables and fruits in your diet each day. Drink eight to 10 glasses of pure water, and avoid coffee and alcoholic beverages. Bitter foods like chicory, rocket, and dandelion can also help to stimulate bile flow and help clear the liver of toxins.

Herbal Supplements

Your liver can benefit right away from a healthy diet. However, it can take time to notice a difference in liver function if you suffer from any type of chronic liver disease. You may need to take additional liver supplements such as milk thistle. If you take any medications for liver disease or liver cancer, talk to your doctor before adding herbs to your regimen.

Healthy Fats

Consider adding healthy fats and oils to your diet in addition to fruits and vegetables. Healthy fats contain omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce inflammation in the body and promote healing. Your liver can benefit from this is if it has become enlarged and inflamed from disease. Omega-3 fatty acids can also improve the health of your heart, brain and skin. These healthy fats can be found in fish such as salmon, tuna and halibut, other marine life such as algae and krill, certain plants, nut oils and in supplements.

Expert Insight

Sandra Cabot, M.D. is a liver health specialist who has created a blog dedicated to detoxification and improved liver function. According to Cabot, poor diet is one of the most common causes of poor liver function. People with fatty livers may even develop scarring or cirrhosis of the liver, which can be just as bad as cirrhosis caused by alcohol. Keep your weight under control in order to help prevent fat from accumulating on your liver.